Two of the sharpest minds in health care analysis and commentary will debate that very question at a Thursday morning forum at The Denver Post. Zeke Emmanuel, who helped the White House develop many of the tenets of what they have now repossessed as “Obamacare,” will speak for the 2010 Affordable Care Act. He will also argue that it could have gone much further, as the medical doctor has written in support of a government-backed voucher program bringing insurance to all. (Zeke is the brother of Rahm and Ari, but we’re not promising time to get to your questions about the Chicago teachers strike or “Entourage.”)

At least some of his ideas will be opposed by Linda Gorman of the Independence Institute, who has argued that Obamacare and similar reform proposals are an unprecedented government takeover of what should be supplied by the free market. Gorman has also written and talked about Medicaid’s potential to break the state budgets, even as Medicare is poised to break the federal budget.

Join us through free tickets for the forum[1], with a 7:30 a.m. continental breakfast. Former Gov. Dick Lamm and myself will moderate the panel, if it needs much moderation, with questions from the audience and a seemingly endless list of available topics.